As part of the investigation police seized nearly $500,000 from a Collins Street safety deposit box.

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Hird and other footballers who had employed Charter were contacted to prove the money was not payments from his personal training work.

Charter became of interest to the Victoria Police clandestine laboratory unit after he made repeated trips to Malaysia.

Dean Robinson Photo: Getty Images

The then head of the unit, former Detective Inspector Jim O'Brien said, "James Hird was one of a number of players spoken to as part of the Charter inquiry".

"It was all part of a routine investigation to prove that Charter's cash did not come from a legitimate income stream," O'Brien said.

"Hird was asked a few questions. It was all amicable. There were no warrants taken out and no raids on his house."

In 2004 Charter was arrested and later pleaded guilty. "It was extremely stupid. I was making a lot of money legitimately but couldn't use the drug money. That's why it was hidden away."

Sentencing County Court Judge John Smallwood said: "Why you commenced this offending is beyond me. For reasons I suspect will remain unexplained, you chose to throw away a very promising and significant career."

On his release Charter built a new business under the name Dr Ageless and imported peptides for clients - including sports scientist Stephen Dank - a key figure in the Essendon drug scandal.

According to Charter, Dank approached him to source around six types of human growth-stimulating peptides.

He says the sports scientist said they were not for Essendon players but for use in a "research program".

It remains unclear what substances were given to the footballers.

Charter said that at a 2011 meeting in Queensland, Hird laid down three conditions to any program - "that there were no long-term dangers to players' health; that it was all WADA-compliant; and that everything had to be run past the club doctor. He was adamant."

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